


Desperationis

by TooManyBooksToRead



Series: LU Madoka AU [1]
Category: Linked Universe - Fandom, Mahou Shoujo Madoka Magika | Puella Magi Madoka Magica
Genre: Alternate Universe - Madoka Magica Fusion, Being Meguca Is Suffering, Character Death, F/M, Gen, I dunno how bad they are so feel free to tell me if I should adjust the rating or tags, Puella Magi Madoka Magica Spoilers, depictions of violence
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-02
Updated: 2019-09-02
Packaged: 2020-10-05 08:23:57
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,052
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20485829
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TooManyBooksToRead/pseuds/TooManyBooksToRead
Summary: "Congratulations you are now the first Puer Magi!"





	Desperationis

**Author's Note:**

> WARNING: MAJOR MADOKA MAGICA SPOILERS, not discussed in depth but still a major plot point. Other than that enjoy!

Sky and Sun had been best friends since before they could walk, for as long as Sky could remember Sun had always been there, with her bright smile and her kind words. For as long as he could remember it all came back to her. 

They used to go on adventures, getting lost in the woods next to their small village and giving their parents no shortage of worry when they came back scruffed up from the branches or wet from falling in the pond. They were just kids then, and they were happy. 

It was when they grew up that things started to change, Sun’s father always told them that change wasn’t always bad, but it couldn’t be stopped, if you didn’t move with the world the moving world would hurt you on the way past. 

They were much too old to keep sneaking off into the woods alone without telling anyone, but they liked to do it anyway, life in the village was fun but the forest was calm, a spot of serenity from the rushing rivers of change they were facing. And so they ventured blindly into the forest laughing all the while, maybe they should've been wary of what hid in the shadows there. 

He’d been resting against a rock whittling away at a piece of wood with a small knife when he hears Sun squeak. “Look, over there,” she nudged his leg and pointed toward the edge of the clearing where a small white critter lay on the ground, “come on, I think it may be hurt.” 

They moved closer to the treeline only to see a small white cat, or at least he believed it was a cat if one with unnaturally large ears, laying in a slowly growing pool of red. Sun immediately moved to pick it up, cradling its limp form in her arms as the blood seeped into her dress. 

“Oh, you poor thing, whatever happened to you? No matter, we’ll have you fixed up in no time.” She talked to the animal sweetly, like she always did, with that kind smile on her face, the one she got when helping the mothers of the town take care of the younger kids or the time she’d taken an injured bird home with her. 

“Should we go back now?” he asked, already picking up their stuff, carefully stashing her small harp into his travel pack. 

“Yes.” She said looking up at the sky, "I do believe we’ve made the rest of the village worried enough for our safety today.”

They made it back to Sun’s home, a quaint little cottage on the edge of the village before sundown and, on her father’s request, Sky ate supper with them before excusing himself to head back to the barracks and promising he’d be back the next day after his chores. 

~~~

The cat could talk. 

That on its own would be baffling enough but apparently, not everyone could see it. He’d thought the reason Gaepora hadn’t mentioned the latest animal to make its way into his home was that he’d gotten used to it but no one in the village seemed to notice the strange creature perched on Sun’s shoulders as they walked through the market running errands for her father. 

Sky had half a mind to call the thing a monster, a demon, like the many that stalked the countryside and attacked travellers. 

_You have nothing to be afraid of!_ The thing responded as if reading into his very thoughts, the invasion of privacy made a shiver run through his spine, _My name is Kyubey and I’m here because your friend is exceptional!_ Its mouth made no movement and its voice resonated only inside his mind, further driving home the feeling of wrongness that he now felt in the creature’s presence. 

“It’ll be fine Sky,” Sun said beaming, “Kyubey is staying with me for a while and then he’ll leave, there is no need to be worried.” 

Her words calmed him, at least a bit and he did his best to smile back as he replied. “If you say so.” 

Unsurprisingly that was when things began to change, at first it was small, Sun brushing off the idea of Kuybey leaving, the slowly darkening bags under her eyes, the shadows that started to creep into her smile. They all worried him yet Sun kept brushing away his concerns with a smile and some kind words. 

Then there was the creature itself, it mostly hung around Sun or wandered freely but lately it had taken to sneaking into his barrack at night, he never knew how it got in, nor why he was the only one able to interact with it but it remained fixated on him throughout the weeks. Sometimes in the dead of night, he could swear he could hear it talk, directly into his mind like it was wont to do. 

_Just what are you, Link of Skyloft?_

Small details kept building up, nagging him about the creature's continued appearance and Sun’s slowly changing behaviour, he was truly worried for his dear friend, for she spent much less time doing all of those small things she used to do, and the light of her smile was fading, leaving it empty. 

It all came to a head when he was finally allowed to take part in the nightshift patrols. It was a clear night, the full moon allowing for clear visibility and bathing the town in silver light, he had been walking through one of the sidestreets in his circuit when suddenly the floor changed beneath his feet, instead of walking on cobblestone he was standing on a void, there seemed to be no floor beneath him and wherever he tried to move there was only a blank horizon. 

Above him, was it above him? All this nothingness was disorienting, perched seemingly on air a flock of winged statues took flight aiming straight for him. He dove to the floor to avoid the first and then scrambled to stand up and unsheathe his sword. It was uncanny how fast those things moved for how much they seemed to weight. 

He shifted into a fighting stance and waited for them to come back at him but they never did. From somewhere above him to his left gleaming arrows flew true and struck the flying behemoths in what he could only assume where their eyes, every statue hit exploded into a shower of sparkles before disappearing. 

Before he could even search for the shooter to give his gratitude the ground shook violently, knocking him off his feet and almost making him fall on his own sword, from the void emerged a massive woman, covered in a white shawl and with too many arms to be even possible, the woman was a complete contrast to the room, her skin too many colours to look at in the same place and from beneath her hooded cloak large solid tears fell and broke into pieces of crystal. 

Sky took a second to take all that in before concluding that he was almost certainly crazy and he’d wake up the next day passed out in an alley in town. 

He faced a rather rude awakening when one of the crystal teardrops smashed in the ground near him sending a curtain of glass shards that cut into his skin. The pain snapped him back into reality – or whatever was left of it – and he jumped up, grabbing his sword and readying to attack the monster that he was to face. 

All of that stopped however when he saw a figure, an archer, shooting at the beast as it jumped from teardrop to teardrop, the shots never missing their mark slammed into the monster surrounded by a halo of light only to explode on contact, blinding him for looking at the fight too long. As he dodged between the falling crystals to get within striking range of the monster he finally caught a clear look of the archer. 

It was Sun. 

Blonde hair flying behind her and a determined gleam in her eyes, she jumped on the falling tears with the grace of a swan, wearing a pristine white dress and wielding a bow like it was a part of her. He froze in shock, at seeing Sun, kind, loving, understanding Sun, destroy a creature with such efficiency and ruthlessness. 

He caught a glimpse of a swishing white tail from the corner of his eye, the creature stood as unnerved and emotionless as he’d always seen it, and while its eyes were focused on the battle he could tell his focus was on him. 

_She truly is a force to be reckoned with, isn’t she? I truly meant it when I told you she was exceptional; she is special Link of Skyloft and I believe,_ suddenly it turned around locking eyes with him, his unwavering stare looking into his very soul as it finished _you may be too._

Suddenly the world around him changed, he was once again standing on the familiar cobblestone road of the village, the whole bizarre scene, gone as if it had never been there. 

“Are you alright!” Sun said as she tackled him, hugging him like a lifeline, “Oh Sky I’m so sorry, are you hurt? Do you need me to heal you?” 

Her eyes were shining in the moonlight and behind them, she could see the same concern she’d seen when his parents had died, this was Sun, sweet, considerate Sun and he’d be damned if he let her fight alone again, it all came back to her, it always did, he loved her and he’d walk with her through hell itself if only to lighten her burden. 

“I may have gotten some cuts from the glass,” he said with a smile, “nothing that can’t be fixed.” 

And as she fussed over him, using what could only be magic to heal his injuries and her white dress shimmered away he locked eyes with the creature laying on her shoulders. He would get answers. 

He lays on his cot later that night staring at the ceiling and contemplating the choice given to him, his gaze filled with determination. 

“Kyubey, if you believe you can grant it I’m ready to make my wish.” 

“Then tell me, what is the hope that will make your Soul Gem shine, Link of Skyloft.” 

It is the first time he’s heard it speak aloud and yet its voice is still steady, with no hint of emotion nor any change in timbre, he imagines if he looked it’s expression would still be locked on that frozen smile. 

“I wish to be able to help Sun, to always stay by her side and protect her.” 

There’s silence and he wonders for a second if it really is impossible to help Sun, to ease her burden and share her pain. This train of thought is cut off by a sudden pain in his chest, it feels like it is being ripped open, his heart ripped from its place there, his throat tightens holding in a scream as he seizes up to clutch at where the pain is coming from. 

A second later he finds a small oval-shaped gem in his hand, it is a bright red, like blood his mid supplies as he sits up and finally looks at the creature. 

Many say that love is the death of the foolish. 

“Congratulations you are now the first Puer Magi!” 

~~~

He adjusts to Witch-hunting easily enough, Sun shows him the ropes and they spend their nights patrolling the village and the surrounding areas, as much as Kyubey unnerves him it was right, Sky takes to fighting Witches easily and his powers are destructive and powerful, between him and Sun they finish fights in half the time it took her alone. 

Sometimes they stray too close to another village and the resident magical girl will head out to meet them, they always seem shocked at seeing them work together, even more disbelief follows at the fact that he is a boy. He supposes Kyubey wasn’t lying about him being the first Puer Magi. Those occasions often end with them fleeing the territory of the neighbouring Magi. 

Still they keep fighting witches together, Sky does his best to defend Sun and he can see her coming back to life, the gleam in her eyes is back, she’s getting more sleep, the light has returned to her smile, and he can’t help thinking that he can see his life like this, the two of them together, leaning on each other as they fight Witches and protect people. 

He gets too comfortable, he sees a future for them. That’s the big mistake. 

They’ve been fighting together for about a year when it happens. They’ve entered a Labyrinth just on the edge of another Puella Magi’s territory, a girl from the next village over that is lenient with the bordering area they share. 

The gate opens into a brightly coloured forest with colourful plants and animals, Sun takes the lead using her Soul Gem to pinpoint the Witch’s location while Sky clears out any familiars that attack them. They make a steady pace through the forest, groups of rabbit looking familiars with clocks for heads slowing their pace before they make it to a deep black chasm. 

“The Witch is down there,” Sun says matter of factly. 

They stand at the edge for a second and then share a look of determination, Sky grabs Sun’s hand and they jump into the chasm, gravity seems to be working oddly because while they are still falling a variety of assorted objects, from furniture to food are floating upwards. 

Sun let go of him and jumped on a floating dresser while he found his footing on an old chair, that was when the Witch decided to make its entrance, it emerged from the darkness loudly with an inhuman screech followed by a wave of familiars. Unlike the clock-rabbits outside these were severed heads which shared a likeness to reptiles, they floated through the void bearing large fangs dripping in red. 

Sky summoned a sword to his hand and then a handful more to keep on standby before raising it above his head and aiming for the wave of incoming familiars, immediately a bolt of lightning struck them killing a few and disorienting those that remain only to be quickly picked off by a volley of light arrows. 

Sky spied the trajectory of the arrows heading for the Witch as he made his way from the rickety chair towards it, he jumped from one floating item to another using them to push him closer toward it. Once he was in range he started throwing the swords he had on standby hoping to disorient it while he closed in on what he believed was the neck. 

He slashed through only to see mist dissipating around where his sword had just cut through, he retreated toward Sun noting that while all his swords had made no significant damage the Witch kept shying away from the light shots from Sun’s bow. 

“My attacks aren’t working!” he yelled struggling to be heard over the Witch’s mad cackling. 

“I’ll move in closer,” Sun retracted her bow as she started moving closer to the Witch, “cover me from any of the familiars!” she yelled back once she’d taken a more advantageous perch closer to the Witch. 

Sky focused on taking out the familiars that strayed too close to Sun as she sent volleys of light arrows, now much faster bombarding the Witch and then switching to another sniping position to avoid the vines that had started lashing out from its shadowy form. Sky does his best to cut off the vines before they can get near her and neutralize the flying lizard heads. 

He’s just turned his back on Sun to deal with a familiar that strayed too close when he hears her bloodcurdling scream. 

Time seems to slow down and suddenly all he can see is Sun. Happy, kind Sun, beautiful Sun, the love of his life, her body suspended in the air from her stomach where a thorny vine ran her through, he can see the shimmering pieces of her amber Soul Gem floating around her, the blood seeps into her dress. 

He has half a mind to collapse on the spot, instead, in utter rage he runs for the vine keeping her body trapped and slashes through it, he can hear the Witch screech behind him. He catches her body gently, cradles her in his arms as her blood seeps into his clothes and before the Witch can even think of retaliating, he cries. 

It is a broken guttural thing, all his rage and grief and suffering condensed in that one sound. Even after death, it all comes back to her, her laugh and her smile and her kindness and her love; and then he hears something crack, the Soul Gem on his chest is almost pitch black. 

He manages to open his eyes enough to see that damned devil, that’s what it is, there is nothing else it could be, sitting next to him. 

“You two really were some of the greatest Magi there will ever be.” 

It still speaks without moving its lips, in its infuriatingly emotionless monotone. 

“_**Damn you! Hylia damn you! May you rot in the deepest pits of hell!**_” he snarls at the devil he foolishly made a pact with. 

“You humans always were such dramatics,” if he believed the creature capable of anything resembling emotion it would be sighing in frustration, “well, we’re still gonna get a significant amount of energy from all of this, and your experiment performed wonderfully Link of Skyloft. Thank you for your contribution to the salvation of the universe!” 

Sky wants to scream again as he clutches on more tightly to the cold lifeless body of his Sun, the light of his life, yet he finds he can’t anymore. 

A Grief Seed hatches. 

Inside the Labyrinth of the Witch Malina, another is born and swallows her whole. The figure of a young blonde girl joins the familiars of the new Witch, settling around the halo where the grieving spectre cradles it’s lover’s corpse. 

That day Walpurgisnacht is born. 

**Author's Note:**

> This one has been on my mind a lot, I tried with the fight scenes but XP they're definitely not the best.  
Sorry Sky but someone had to be it.


End file.
